Theater-chair.



R, a). WEAKLEY.

THEATER CHMR.

APPLICATION HLED APR. I9. 1915.

WWW? mma m. 25, may.

R. D. WEAKLEY, THEATER CHAIR.

APPLICATION .HLED APR. 19. l9l5- mammal 1m; 26, m8.

. 1mm F ma/Md Med/ W "U'HFEU rrns rarnr ev n RAYMOND D; WEAKLEY,

or sr. Louis, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO HERBERT s. GARDNER, rntis'rnnor s'r. LOUIS, iarssouzer.

THEATER-CHAIR.

Application filed April 19,

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, RAYMOND D. VEAIQ- Luv. a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Louis, Missouri, have invented a cer tain new and useful Improvement in Theatier-Chairs, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification,

My invention relates to a convertible chair or seat particularly adapted for use in theaters, auditoriums and the like, the principal object of my invention being to provide a comparatively simple and inexpensive chair having a seat portion which, under normal conditions, is adapted for adults, and which, when raised or shifted out of normal position, forms a convenient and comfortable seat for childrenand enables the latter to have a comparatively unobstructed View of the stage inasmuch as their eyes are brought 7 into approximately the same horizontal plane with the eyes of the adults.

Theater chairs as now constructed are proportioned for adults and when children are v properly seated in such chairs, their view of the stage is cut oif by persons seated in'the chairs immediately in front of them for the reason that the eyes of the children occupy a horizontal plane anywhere from six to twelve inches below thepl-ane occupied by the eyes of the adults.

In a large number of theaters now open to the public, moving pictures form the major portion of the entertainment, and it 7 has been noted that at such entertainments, children form a large proportion of the audiences.

In their eagerness to properly view the. pictures or the entertainers upon the stage, the children either resort to standing upon the seats of the chair or to sitting on the arms thereof, and as a result, persons seated near the children are, to a certain degree, inconvenienced and the children themselves are more or less uncomfortable, and to eliminate these objectionable features and provide a seat where the child can comfortably and conveniently View of the stage or the pictures, I propose to constructthe. seat portion of a theater chair so that it can be elevated several inches, thus making it applicable for the use-of adults and children and,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented net. at, rate.

1915. Serial No. 22,308.

putting the latter on an equal basis with the adults in so far as a view of the stage or the picture screen is concerned. 7

' With the foregoing and other objects in view, my invention consists in certain novel features of construction and arrangement of parts, hereinafter more fully described, claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a chair of my improved construction with one of the side frames removed and with the chair back in vertical section. a

Fig. 2 is an elevational view similar to Fig. 1 and showing the seat portion of the chair elevated for childrens use.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of my improved chair.

Fig. 4 is a'perspective view of the latch utilized for locking the seat in its elevated position. 7

Fig. 5 is a detail elevational view partly in section showing the seat portion of the chair elevated for childrens use. i

Fig. 6 is an enlarged horizontal section taken approximately on the line 66 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged detail section taken approximately on the line 7-7 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 8 is a section taken approximately on the line 8-8 of Fig. 6.

Fig. 9 is an elevational view partly in section of a modified form of my improved chair.

Fig. 10 is a side elevational view of a further modified form of the chair.

Referring by numerals to the accompanying drawings, 10 designates the usual side frames of a chair or seat such as is ordinarily used in theaters, and the like, said frames being preferably cast and provided with the usual arms 11 and fixed back 12.

The seat contemplated by my invention comprises a pair of side members 18, preferably of cast metal, the same being hinged or pivotally connected by means of bolts or pins 14 to the lower portions of the side frames 10.

Formed in the upper rear portions of these members 13 are longitudinally disposed grooves 15 and formed integral with said members 13 to the sides of these grooves are inverted "L-shaped flanges 16, the forward ends of which are curved downward as designated by 16 1 g r n 1,25%557 Immediately beneath the downwardly curved portion of each flange, the bottom of the corresponding groove is cut away so as to provide an abrupt shoulder 17, the same being adapted to serve as a rest for a seat support hereinafter more fully de-V scribed.

' Rigidlyfix'ed to the rear end portions of the members 13 is a corresponding narrow transversely disposed seat portion 18 and formed integral with said members 13 in front of theposts where the same are hinged to the frames 10 are forwardly and downwardly'project-ing arms 19 to which are fixed the ends of a transversely disposed bar 20, the same serving as a-foot rest for the child occupying-the seat, 7 7

Hinged to theouter ends of members 13 are the forward ends of rearwardly projectmg arms 21, preferably of cast metal, and

rigidly fixedthereto is themain portion 22 of the seat and, when the members 13 and arms 21 are lowered or occupy their normal positions for use by adults, this main-portion 22- combines with the rear portion l8 to form the chair seat.

The rear central POItIOII'Of seat member 22 is cutaway as designated by 23 toform a of latching members 27.

hand hole through which the fingers may be passed to operate latches hereinafter mor fully described.

' Rigidly fixed to the back 12 adjacent to the side frames 11 areblocks 24, preferably of'cast metal, the same'serving as socketsor seats for the rear ends of the arms 21 when underside of seat member 22, near the rearcorners' thereof and connected to and dependlng from the inner ends of said mem- 7 here are vertically disposed loops 28.

Fixed to and depending from the rear portion rofsc-atmember 22 are bearings 29 F in which are journaled the'end portions of a latclropcrating member 30, the central portion .of which is bent rearwardly and normally occupies a position directly below the cut-away portion 23 the rear edgeof the seat. V

The end; portions of this operating memberroutside the bearings 29ers bent downwardly and thence outwardly as designated by 31, and said outwardly bent portions are loosely positioned in the" loops 2 8.

Gonnectedto the inner ends of members 27 are the endsof retractile springs; 32, the

opposite endsbeingconnected to 'seatfmember" 22 and, said sprmgs act to normally throw the hooks 26 intoengagement with the shoulders 25 in the socket blocks 21 as seen in Fig. 6.

Pivotally connected to the rear portions of arms 21 are brace members 33 which, when the seat is in lowered position, occupy the grooves 15 and fixed to and projecting outwardly from these braces are pins 34. which occupy position beneath the inverted L-shaped flanges 16. The extreme lower ends of the braces are provided with notches 35, which, when the seat member 22 is elevated for childrens use, engage the shou] dersl? on the members 18.

Under normal conditions or when the chair is in condition for adults use, the various parts of said chair occupy the positions illustrated in Figs. 1. and 3 with the arms 21 swung downward lying immediately adjacent arms 13 and with brace members 33 occupying substantially horizontal positions within the grooves 15.

The entire seat comprising members 18 and 22 may, when so arranged, be swung upward against the back 12 as may be necessary when persons are passing between the rows of seats.

To raise member '22 to form an elevated seat for children, the rear edge of said member is engaged and pulled upward, thereby swinging said member into the position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1, and during such movement, brace members 33 will be drawn forwardly through grooves 15, but their lower or rear ends will be prevented from becoming detached from the arms 13 by reason of the pins 34 which project beneath the inverted L-shapcd flanges 16.

lVhen scat member 22 has been thus swung upward to the position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1, the notches 35 in the lower ends of brace members 33 will engage over shoulders 17 and the scat comprising member 22 and'arms 21 is now moved rearwardl y until the rear ends of said members 21 cugage in the recesses in socket blocks 24:. As this movement takes place, hooks 26 on the outer ends of the latching members 27 will ride by and pass to the rear of shoulders 25 and through the action of springs 32 said latching members will return to their normal positions with the hooks engaged behind said shoulders 25, thereby locking the seat in its elevated position.

The parts, thus elevated, provide a comfortable and convenient seat for a child, and

I when thus elevated, the eyes of said child be-r 30.is engaged and moved downward,

thereby rocking the end portions-of said;

thereof from the shoulders 17 after which said seat member 22 is swung downward un til it occupies approximately the same plane with arms 13 and thelatter are now swung downwardly until all portions of the seat occupy their normal positions as seenin VVhenthe lower ends of braces 33 are disengaged from the shoulders 17, said lower ends will swing rearwardly through the slots 15 and when the rear portion of seat'member 22 is swung downward, said braces will slide through said slots and move into their normal horizontal positions.

In the modification illustrate'din Fig. 9, arms 13 are provided at their rear ends with bearings 36 to which are pivotally connected spring-actuated latching members 37, the same being provided with shoulders 88, which latter are adapted to engage the lower edge of back 12 when the seat member 22 is elevated for childrens use as seen in Fig. 9.

Connected to said latching members 37 are the lower ends of rods 39, the upper ends of which are connected to levers 40, the same being pivotally secured to the underside'of seat member 22.

Normally, the members 37 lie directly against the front side of back 12 near the side frames 10 and when seat 22 is elevated, said members 37 ride downward until the shoulders 38 engage beneath the lower edge of back 12, and thus said seat member 22 V is locked in its elevated position.

By mani ulating member 40, the locking members 3 can be disengaged from the lower edge of back 12, and when this is ac complished, the seat member 22 may be lowered to normal position.

In the modification illustrated in Fig. 10, an auxiliary seat l1 is hinged in any suitable manner to the underside of the usual seat 42, and pivotally connected to the arms 43 which carry the usual seat member are the lower ends of slotted supports 4A, the upper ends of which are notched as designated by 15 to receive pins 46, which latter project outwardly from the auxiliary seat ll. 7

When this form of device is shifted into position for use by children, the usual seat 42 is swung upward against the chair back 12 and auxiliary seat 41 is swung upward into an approximatelyhorizontal plane with pins 46 engaged in notches 45', and thus said auxiliary seat is heldin its elevated position.-- f I When this formof seat is lowered to normalposition for adults use, pins 46 are disengaged from notches 15, thus permitting said pins to pass through the slots in arms. 4.4, and such action permits said-arms and the-auxiliary seat to be swung into. an out-' of-the-wayposition immediately beneath the usual seat 42. 1 a

A chair of my improved construction is comparatively simple, can be. easily and cheaply manufactured, is readily shifted from one position to another, and provides simple means whereby children who are patrons of the theater and picture exhibitions. may view the stage or screen with the same degree of comfort as adults.

It will be readily understood that minor changes in the size, form and construction of the various parts of my improved chair can be made and substituted for those herein shown and described, without departing from the spiritxof my invention, the scope of which is set forth in the appended claims.

I claim: i I a 1. A theater chair comprising a frame, a seat supporting member hinged thereto and a seat supported by said member, which seat is divided transversely to form two parts, one of which is fixed to the seat supporting member and the other part being hinged to said member.

2. A theater chair comprising side frames, a back fixed thereto, a pair of seat supporting arms hinged to the frames, a seat formed in two parts, one of which is fixed to the seat supporting arms and the other part being hinged to said arms, and means for supporting the hinged portion of the seat when the same is swung into its uppermost position.

8. A theater chair comprising side frames, a back fixed thereto, a pair of seat supporting arms hinged to the frames, a seat formed in two parts, one of which is fixed to the seat supporting arms and the other part being hinged to said arms, and means for locking the hinged portion of the seat to the chair back when said seat is swung to its uppermost position. I

4. A theater chair having a hinged seat formed in two parts, one part being adapted to be swung upward so as to form a seat which is elevated with respect to the normal position of the seat, and means for locking said seat in its elevated position.

5. A theater chair having the usual side members, a back, and a two-part seat cooperating with said side members and back, a part of-whieh seat is adapted to be shifted from one horizontal plane to another.

6. A theater chair comprising a chair insane, Lseat members hingedthere-to, end-1a sent termed in twopamts, oneof which is h 'mged'z seat members. 7

7 A theater chair comprising a choir frame, seat members hing-eel them-e130, a seat formed'in two parts, one of which is hinged tossaid seat. members, which. hinged seat is adapted .to he shiiiteciso as to i seat ii hiczh is eiewated with respect to is hinged and adopted to he swung upward with respect to the other part to form esecoirdtinyiseat. i r

9. Theeomh' when with a theater chair framgof at seat: formedin two-parts, one of which is hinged tossa-id frame and adopted tobe shifteds so as to provide a secondary seat which is elevated with respect to vthe normal plane occupied by said seat, and

means for locking, the seat memberin its position; V '10. In a theater chair, the combination Copies of this patent may he obtained for with "hii'lged seat supporting members, of it seat portion fixed to said mernhers, and at seat portion hingeci to sa il members, which seat portions are adapted to cooperate to form a seat in one horizon-mi plane and the hinged seat portion hein'g adapted to occupy a position of use in a higher horizontal plea-1e.

11. The combination with a theater chair frame, of seat supporting members hinged to said frame, a seat portion fixed to the rear portions of said hinged men-floors, and a seat portion hinged to said members in front of the fixed seat portion.

T2. The -comhina-tion with a theater chair and its hinged seat supports, ot a seat termed in two Pit-f ts, one of which is fixed to the supports and the other part being hinged to said supports.

In testimony whereof I hereunto am); my signature in the presence of two witnesses, this 17th day of April, 1915.

V RAYMOND D. WEEAKLEY.

Witnesses:

M. P. SMrrH, M. A. HANDEL.

five cents each, my addressing the Commission: 0! trauma,

woshiington iixfl. 

